Calif. Bill Would Raise Direct Access Load Cap

A newly amended California bill would expand the current direct access load cap.

California SB 855, which originally did not pertain to direct access, has been amended and now provides for an incremental expansion of the direct access load cap, equaling about 8.35 TWh of new direct access load.

Specifically, SB 855 would establish the load cap as the currently existing load cap, and then add to that amount the incrementally new load previously allowed under the existing cap.

In other words, the bill would essentially double the amount of new direct access load as originally established by the California PUC in March 2010.

In that March 2010 decision (Decision 10-03-022), the PUC established new direct access load available as: 3,946 annual GWh at Pacific Gas & Electric; 3,946 annual GWh at Southern California Edison, and 462 annual GWh at San Diego Gas & Electric.

The bill calls for the new load permitted under the cap to be phased-in starting July 1, 2012.